Situated 65 km west of Aleppo, is the beautiful church at Qalb Lozeh. This
basilica dating back to the 5th century is located in the small village of Qalb
Lozeh (one of the dead cities) meaning ‘Heart of the Almond’, and is one of the
most beautiful basilicas in Syria and is a masterpiece of Syrian Byzantine art.
It is not sure to whom this church was dedicated although it was probably
used afterwards as a stopping station for pilgrims to St. Simeon’s church like the
nearby church of Mshabak.
This magnificent church contains three basilica aisles with a narthex stands in a
wild setting. The entrance to this basilica has a tower on each side three
stories high, which used to frame a semicircular arch. The inside of the church is
divided into three naves. Each two naves are separated between a row of three
arches. The circular rear part of the church has two orders of columns. The
upper floor of the central nave has windows on both sides; small columns
separate these windows.
The beautiful architecture used in this church shows an ability to use classical
Greek decoration.